There are several types of hand weapons which are known for self defense and other purposes. Police Departments, Military, Paramilitary units and practioners in the Martial Arts have devised several types of weaponry. Many of these weapons, however, are illegal for civilian use.
Various types of hand held clubs and flexible striking implements have been proposed. Because of their size, the concealability of the majority of such heretofore known weapons is poor. Those which are concealable, offer but marginal safety and reliability against an attacker. Many of such weapons require extensive training to acquire an average proficiency and control. With most of the heretofore known weapons, if the attacker is able to gain control of the weapon, such weapon may be used as a tool against the defender.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a hand held defensive tool that is small and can be easily concealed. At the same time, the desirable device should be legal, versatile in its self defense abilities, reliable, safe if removed from the defender during a struggle, and controllable.